Purandeswari fails to get BJP ticket from Visakhapatnam

New Delhi: Former union minister D Purandeswari, who quit Congress over the Telangana issue and joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been denied a ticket from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat which she represented.

Purandeswari, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao, is the sitting MP from Visakhapatnam and had apparently joined the party with an understanding that she will be given the ticket from the constituency.

The BJP Central Election Committee has decided to field its Andhra Pradesh unit chief K Hari Babu from Visakhapatnam.

Sources said the party's alliance with Telugu Desham Party (TDP) in both Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh states forced the party to deny ticket to Purandeswari, as top TDP leadership had opposed her candidature.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who is NTR's son-in-law and married to Purandeswari's sister, and Purandeswari have been bitter political rivals.

"It is between the two sisters," said a BJP leader, when asked about the development.

The sources said BJP may consider fielding her from Rajampeta Lok Sabha constituency.

Purandeswari had quit the Congress on March 7, saying she was left with no option after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

"The party (Congress) took the decision to bifurcate the state and all abided by it because it was the decision taken by the party. But unfortunately, the manner in which the bifurcation has taken place has hurt me," she had said.

Sharing dais with BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, she had claimed that circumstances had forced her to take the decision to quit Congress.

Purandeswari, who was the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, resigned from Congress after the Telangana bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in February.

The BJP also decided to field Gokaraju Ganga Raju from Narsapur Lok Sabha seat and Karumanchi Jayaram from Tirupati (SC) seat.

As part of its poll alliance with TDP, BJP will field its candidates in five parliamentary seats, of which three are general, one is a scheduled tribe (ST) and another reserved for scheduled castes (SC), in the residual state of a bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP also announced 13 candidates for Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections for Seemandhra region.